Recording media such as floppy discs are enclosed in a flexible cover with the edges sealed to protect the disc. Access to the disc is available through an opening in the middle and through a slot extending radially outward from the center opening in the cover to allow a read/write head to be brought into engagement with the disc surface for the transfer of information as the disc is roatated.
For a read/write process, the disc and cover are inserted into the machine and contact is made with the center of the disc through the cover opening for spinning the disc. The cover is held stationary and the read/write head is moved radially across the disc through the slot. The disc spins within the stationary cover and it is important to maintain the frictional engagement therebetween at a minimum.
The present invention is provided for sealing the disc cover after the disc has been inserted. The disc cover is formed in the manner described in U.S. Pat. Application Ser. No. 228,460, filed on Jan. 26, 1981, and entitled: MACHINE FOR FOLDING RECORDING DISC COVERS with Paul Edward Seaborn as inventor and assigned to the same assignee as this application. As can be seen by study of that patent application, the disc cover is formed in a manner to provide sufficient space for the disc by folding the disc cover about a mandrel. After the disc is inserted in this formed cover it is similarly important to complete the sealing of the cover in a manner to provide for sufficient space for the disc and also to accomplish the sealing in a manner such that no glue or adhesive reaches the outside of the disc cover, and especially does not contact the interior of the cover so as to interfere with the rotation of the disc.
It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a machine for sealing disc covers in an efficient manner to provide satisfactory space for rotation of the disc.